volume 45, number 4 | 2015 annual report · 2017-11-15 · 2 friends of the earth 2015 annual...

VOLUME 45, NUMBER 4 | 2015 ANNUAL REPORT

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2 Friends of the Earth 2015 Annual Report WWW.FOE.ORG

Friends,

Over the past year, deep societal tensions fueled by economic inequality, persistent structural racism, climate change, the perpetual state of war and concerns about corporate power are overwhelming our national consciousness. These tensions — fueled by unparalleled technological innovation and the ability to self-organize — are creating a potential moment in time where massive societal change can fundamentally alter the status quo.

When this change will occur and how it will unfold is still a mystery. But signs are everywhere. The emergence of #BlackLiveMatter’s grassroots power highlights and challenges structural racism; disrupting the old narratives on race and equality. The emerging #KeepItintheGround movement (the spiritual heir of #NoKXL) is fundamentally reframing the climate fight from regulating energy pollution to preventing it from being emitted in the first place.

At their cores, #NoTPP, #GetMoneyOut and #EndCitizensUnited are challenging the entrenched corporate power which prevents democratic and social progress. Many of these thoughts and ideas are skillfully interwoven by leaders such as Pope Francis in his environmental encyclical, “Laudato Si’: Our Care for Our Common Home;” Naomi Klein through her book, “This Changes Everything;” and Jane Mayer’s exquisite documentation of the Koch brother’s war on environmental protection and voting rights, “Dark Money.” Recognizing these movements, and in pursuit of our mission to champion a healthy and just world, Friends of the Earth is changing and evolving by incorporating economic, racial and social justice into our campaigns. For instance, our campaign to promote good food and a healthy planet led us to partner with the Food Chain Workers Alliance to challenge Darden Restaurants, which owns and operates more than 1,500 restaurants including Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse and The Capital Grille. We asked that 20 percent of Darden Restaurants’ food purchases follow the Good Food Purchasing Principles, which combines animal welfare and environmental purchases with fair wages. Our fledgling democracy reform campaign led part of the ground effort in Maine to pass a state ballot measure which restores clean and accountable elections, while limiting the

power of wealthy, special interests. We were also leaders in working with indigenous peoples from the Americas to draft and release a declaration in Paris calling for the end of fossil fuel extraction and subsidies.

And our trade campaign went toe-to-toe with “green” Democratic members of the House of Representatives, criticizing and holding them accountable for their votes granting President Obama “fast-track” trade negotiating authority. Simply put, Friends of the Earth believes that such trade agreements enhance corporate power at the expense of people and the environment.

Finally, the environmental community and Friends of the Earth’s winning effort to stop the Keystone XL pipeline incorporated the voices of farmers, ranchers and indigenous people in a more inclusive and holistic campaign.

In 2016, Friends of the Earth plans to increase our advocacy to keep fossil fuels in the ground. We just won an important effort to temporarily close down new federal coal leases. This win must be permanent, and it is imperative that we stop new oil and gas drilling. We will continue our leadership in the push to ban bee-killing pesticides and to eliminate the use of antibiotics in animal factory farming. We will also fight to finally close down the earthquake-endangered Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Station in California, prevent President Obama from enacting the Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement, and organize members and activists to reclaim our democracy.

This is an exciting time to be an environmental campaigner and activist. While we have much to learn, incorporating racial, economic and social justice into our campaigns will enable more holistic solutions and create deeper and long-term change.

Warm Regards,

Erich Pica, President

Arlie Schardt, Chairman of the Board

WE LIVE IN DYNAMIC TIMES

Erich PicaPresident

Arlie Schardt Chairman of the Board

A Messsage From Our Leadership

Get involved in issues and debates affecting human health and the planet by signing up for Friends of the Earth action alerts. Visit www.foe.org today!

WWW.FOE.ORG Friends of the Earth 2015 Annual Report 3

VOLUME 45, NUMBER 4 WINTER 2015

1 A MESSAGE FROM OUR LEADERSHIP We live in dynamic times

4 CLIMATE AND ENERGY Halting fossil fuels from the front

lines

6 OCEANS AND VESSELS Protecting the marine environment

and all who use and enjoy it

8 ECONOMIC POLICY Follow the money to ensure human and

environmental health

12 FOOD AND TECHNOLOGY Building a better food future

14 ON THE LEGAL FRONT

15 OUR FRIENDS Ways to make a donation

Donor List

18 FINANCIALS

contents

Get involved in issues and debates affecting human health and the planet by signing up for Friends of the Earth action alerts. Visit www.foe.org today!

Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine (ISSN: 1054-1829) is published quarterly by Friends of the Earth, 1101 15th St. NW, 11th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005, phone 202-783-7400, fax 202-783-0444, e-mail: [email protected], website: www.foe.org. Annual membership dues are $25, which includes a subscription to the Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine. The words “Friends of the Earth” and the Friends of the Earth logo are exclusive trademarks of Friends of the Earth, all rights reserved. Requests to reprint articles should be submitted to Brittany Matter at [email protected]. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C.

Board of DirectorsArlie Schardt, chair; Soroush Shehabi, vice chair; Jeffrey Glueck, treasurer; Harriett Crosby, secretary; Whitey Bluestein; Jayni Chase; Cecil D. Corbin-Mark, Clarence Ditlow; Dan Gabel; Mike Herz; Stephen Nemeth; Chris Pabon; Chris Paine; Doria Steedman; Marc Zionts; David Zwick; Brent Blackwelder, advisor,

StaffErich Pica, presidentLisa Archer, food and technology program directorJenny Bock, economic justice campaignerJudith Bourzutschky, bookkeeperCourtney Brown, senior stewardship officerMichelle Chan, vice president of programsMegan Coglianese, development associateKate Colwell, rapid response communications

specialistJeff Conant, senior international forests campaignerStacey Conn, administrative assistantKate DeAngelis, international policy analyst Julie Dyer, director of operationsEA Dyson, communications directorTiffany Finck-Haynes, food futures campaignerJon Fox, senior democracy campaignerKari Hamerschlag, senior program managerGary Graham Hughes, California advocacy

campaignerJohn Kaltenstein, marine policy analystMarcie Keever, oceans and vessels program

directorKendra Klein, staff scientist, agroecology and

environmental healthMarissa Knodel, climate change campaignerTony Lewis, operations associateAdam Lugg, donor services managerKatharine Lu, china sustainable finance campaignerCarrie Mann, digital membership coordinatorJosette Matoto, graphic designer and video

producerBrittany Matter, associate editorDamon Moglen, senior strategic advisorDoug Norlen, economic policy program directorKaren Orenstein, senior international policy analystDana Perls, food and technology campaignerLukas Ross, climate and energy campaignerMadelyn Rygg, chief financial officerKathy Sawyer, grants managerBen Schreiber, climate and energy program directorYin Shen, accounts payable specialistSharon Smith, senior accountantPeter Stocker, director of developmentWilliam Waren, senior trade analyst

Consultants/AdvisorsArizona State UniversityAyres Law GroupBeehive Research, Inc.Belardi Ostroy, LLCBoard SourceCapitol Nonprofit Solutions, LLCCitrix

CliftonLarsonAllenJerry CopeDC Action LabDirect Mail Processors, Inc.Dunkiel SandersEarthJusticeEU ServicesFairewinds Associates, IncFred Felleman, Wildlife & Visual Ent.Free Range StudiosDavid FreemanGreg(g) Horgan Architecture Inc.Robert HalfHarmon, Curran, Spielberg & EisenbergRichard HeederLayla HughesHumanautIan IlluminatoIDealsJML DesignCheri JohnsonKeyes, Fox & Wiedman, LLPRebecca KleinLiberty ConceptsDevine Mulvey Longabaugh, Wild Bunch MediaStacy MalkanManagement Assistance GroupMcGuireWoods, LLPMellman GroupMeyer & GlitzensteinMMI DirectMovement Strategy CenterBrihannala MorganRichelle MorganDiane MossNetwork AllianceDavid NewsomePalmer Group MediaPathar Communications, LLCPesticide Research InstitutePowers EngineeringProfundo BVSalsaLabs, Inc.Sea Change StrategiesGary SteinbergThe Sharpe GroupTalentfrontTPOJohn UrnessV. John White & AssociatesBill Walker, dba Deadline NowTina Weaver, The Ezra CompanyYang Yang

F rom Washington, D.C. to Paris, here are some notable accomplishments by the Climate and Energy program in 2015. Our Keep It in the

Ground effort galvanized the climate movement: Key actions included going to the courts to demand the Bureau of Land Management look at the impacts of the Federal Coal Management Program, standing up to Shell’s attempts to drill in the Arctic, showing up at fossil fuel auctions across the country, and supporting Indigenous communities demanding an end to fossil fuel extraction during the Paris Conference of Parties. Partly due to our efforts, Senator Jeff Merkley intro-duced legislation, the Keep It in the Ground Act, to end fossil fuel extraction on public lands. He was joined by Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and four others. Our climate colonialism campaign pressed President Obama to commit to doing our fair share to stop the climate crisis. Then when he didn’t, we responded back home by demonstrating in front of the White House. Through all of our endeavors, we are building a solid foundation to ensure fossil fuels are kept in the ground.

CLIMATE ACTIVISM MAKES NOISE

Friends of the Earth’s long-standing efforts to stop TransCanada from building the Keystone XL tar sand pipeline made a lot of noise in 2015.

Wanting to make sure that the movement that has been built around Keystone XL continues, we publicly launched the Keep It in the Ground campaign at the beginning of the year. Our campaign’s focus is on convincing President Obama to take executive action to end new fossil fuel leases on public lands. We joined with the Center for Biological Diversity to release a first-of-its-kind report by EcoShift Consulting, detailing the extent of the fossil fuel reserves that exist under public lands and waters in the United States. The report showed that if all of these fossil fuels are exploited it would blow most of the world’s remaining carbon budget. Our efforts to stop TransCanada from building the Keystone XL pipeline has built a grassroots movement of climate activists committed to keeping fossil fuels in the ground. With fossil fuel leasing fights taking place all over the country, Keep It in the Ground has pulled together these disparate strands into a larger and strong tapestry.

The campaign made its demand to President Obama with a letter signed by more than 400 Executive Directors of environmental organizations and other national thought leaders. The letter was delivered to the Obama administration at a press conference

by Benjamin Schreiber, climate and energy program director

Halting fossil fuels from the front lines

climate & energy


More than 67 million acres of public land and ocean are already leased to the fossil fuel industry. That represents an area 55 times

larger than Grand Canyon National Park and contains up to 43 billion tons of potential carbon pollution.

in front of the White House. Keep It in the Ground has become a clarion call and the movement gained even more steam when President Obama gave final rejection to the Keystone XL pipeline. Moving forward, there will not be a fossil fuel lease auction where Friends of the Earth and our allies are not shouting to be heard. Despite the few victories for the people and the planet and a renewed climate activism, the struggle continues. Farmers, ranchers, Indigenous communities and others on the front lines of the fossil fuel economy are having their water depleted and their air poisoned. Americans who live near railroad tracks are forced to breathe toxic coal dust which can cause asthma and lung disease and live with the threat of oil trains that can explode into deadly bombs. Communities around fossil fuel-fired power plants are being poisoned with mercury, particulate matter and other airborne pollutants. These impacts are disproportionately borne by communities of color. And of course, fossil fuels are a leading cause of climate disruption. PROTESTS IN PARIS SUPPORT THE VULNERABLE

During the Conference of Parties in Paris, Friends of the Earth U.S. teamed up with its sister organizations from all over the world. We protested with Indigenous communities who are being evicted from their lands

to supply carbon offsets for the developed world. We supported the Indigenous flotilla and demanded that fossil fuels be kept in the ground. We served as a constant reminder to world leaders that people are suffering and dying from climate change as sea levels rise, droughts worsen and authorities push false solutions on disenfranchised populations.

TOP LEFT: The Indigenous flotilla takes to the Seine river to protest axing of rights from Paris climate pact. TOP RIGHT: Activists stand in solidarity with the communities threatened by REDD+. Credit: Friends of the Earth International / Luka Tomac. BOTTOM LEFT: Climate and Energy campaigner Lukas Ross stands with polar bear mascot at Keep It in the Ground rally in September. BOTTOM RIGHT: Erich Pica speaking in front of The White House after President Obama’s rejection of the Keystone XL..


F

riends of the Earth works with the U.N. agency responsible for maritime safety and pollution

standards – the International Maritime Organization – to reduce air and water pollution from ships world-wide. Our combined efforts this past year led to a few victories and laid the foundation for us to continue the fight for our oceans, the air above and the com-munities that depend on them. With climate change, the melting sea ice in the Arctic is posing new threats to the environment as well as the region’s four million inhabitants and innumerable species.

FINALLY A POLAR CODEAfter five years of effort, Friends of the Earth has succeeded in our work to support the enactment of strong precautionary measures to protect the Arctic environment. Known as the Polar Code, this mandatory suite of rules will govern shipping in the region. The environmental portion of the Polar Code was adopted in 2015 and will go into effect in

2017. Friends of the Earth was heavily engaged in negotiations on the Polar Code since the outset of in-depth discussions in 2010, and we are pleased to see the Code come to fruition. The environmental portion of the Polar Code includes some noteworthy elements, such as a ban on the operational discharge of oil and chemicals and enhanced standards associated with disposal of sewage and garbage into polar seas. Moreover, voyage planning provisions to safeguard marine mammals will provide additional conservation protection. These provisions will be the first species-specific measures that explicitly extend beyond whales and thus will also pertain to sea lions, seals and walrus.

#SHELLNO2015 was a pivotal year for the Arctic when it came to drilling for oil as well. On September 28, Shell Oil announced that it was halting its Arctic operations for the foreseeable future. Shell reported that it

Protecting the marine environment and all who use and enjoy it

Credit: Shutterstock

by Marcie Keever, oceans and vessels program director


oceans and vessels

found indications of oil and gas, but they were not “sufficient to warrant further exploration.” Friends of the Earth worked alongside a strong coalition of groups opposed to Arctic drilling by joining litigation objecting to the Obama Administration’s approval of the oil lease to Shell and its exploration plan. We also voiced our objections to the Port of Seattle’s lease to Foss Maritime for the staging of Shell Arctic drilling resources in Seattle, Washington. We are still engaged in the litigation to ensure that Shell’s drilling permit is revoked and all future leases in the Arctic Ocean are cancelled.

With few pristine areas left in the world,

it is essential that we work collectively to

make sure that the marine environment,

its inhabitants and surrounding

communities are protected from the

threat of climate change and oil spills from

increased shipping activity.

#SHELLNO IN WASHINGTON STATEIn addition to opposing Arctic drilling and staging Shell resources at the Port of Seattle, Friends of the Earth, along with several regional partner groups, successfully demanded that Shell Oil conduct a full environmental review of its plans to build additional rail capacity at its Anacortes refinery in Washington state. Shell along with the other four refineries in the state (BP, Tesoro, U.S. Oil and Phillips 66) are all working to bring more tar sands and Bakken shale oil to their facilities by rail, endangering the surrounding communities and the people that live, work and recreate along the rail and shorelines where this oil will be transported.

With few pristine areas left in the world, it is essential that we work collectively to make sure that the marine environment, its inhabitants and surrounding communities are protected from the threat of climate change and oil spills from increased shipping activity. Friends of the Earth is working to ensure that the IMO or other international bodies implement measures that are precautionary, comprehensive and robust in order to truly protect the region and its people from the impacts of shipping.

Protecting the marine environment and all who use and enjoy it TOP LEFT: Kayactivists protest the arrival of Shell Oil’s drilling rig in Seattle, Washington. Credit: Flickr/Backbone Campaign, CC BY 2.0. TOP RIGHT: #ShellNo banner seen in

West Seattle. Credit: Dennis Bratland, CC BY-SA 4.0. BOTTOM RIGHT: New provisions in the Polar Code will help provide conservation protection to arctic mammals like the walrus. Credit: Shutterstock.


Trade and finance shape our world for good or bad. Trade and finance institutions can create

the rules and resources that make clean water, healthy food, good schools and safe environments possible. But, too often these institutions are captured by special interests pushing projects and practices that pollute the environment, and undercut peoples’ rights. And too often, these same vested interests try to write

political and economic rules for their own benefit. Friends of the Earth campaigns at the nexus of trade, finance, environmental protection and social justice. Here are some examples from this past year:

CURBING COAL FUNDING, GROWING RENEWABLE ENERGYAs climate change worsens, one of the most counter-productive things governments can do is finance more fossil

fuel projects. Yet, public finance institutions such at the U.S. Government’s Export-Import Bank provide tens of billions of dollars in public subsidies for fossil fuel projects that not only worsen climate chaos but pollute local communities as well. However, this year Friends of the Earth and allies around the world successfully campaigned for international restrictions on coal plant financing by most of the world’s export credit agencies — a crucial

Follow the money to ensure human and environmental health

By Doug Norlen, economic policy program director

Credit: Shutterstock


economic policy

step to completely ending this pernicious kind of fossil fuel subsidy. At the same time, we advanced efforts to increasing public funding for appropriate renewable energy in developing countries which lifts communities out of energy poverty without polluting them in the process.

PROVIDING EFFECTIVE CLIMATE FINANCE

Wealthy countries that have caused global warming must provide funds – known

as climate finance – for environmentally-sound, socially just climate action in poorer countries, including through the newly-created international Green Climate Fund. Friends of the Earth led global resistance to GCF funds being channeled through giant private banks like HSBC – which are top fossil fuel financiers with poor records on human rights and financial scandal – and we instead promoted people-centered, sustainable initiatives. We also worked successfully to exclude

dirty energy from the GCF’s first set of funding proposals, approved in November 2015. Additionally, we supported efforts to establish a tiny-but-critically important tax on Wall Street that would generate hundreds of billions of dollars of new revenue, including for climate finance.

SUSTAINABILITY POLICIES FOR GROWING ECONOMIESFriends of the Earth has a long history of campaigning for sustainable finance policies at

TOP: Graphic illustrates where the United States could get the money to pay their fair share of climate finance. BOTTOM LEFT: Economic Justice Campaigner Jenny Bock speaks about defunding fossil fuel projects in front of the Export-Import bank in Washington, D.C. BOTTOM RIGHT: Friends of the Earth and allies rally in front of Japan Bank for International Cooperation to protest their funding of coal projects.


Increasingly,

international trade

agreements are not

about “free trade,”

rather they are about

conferring greater legal

power to corporations,

weakening citizens’

rights, while causing

deregulation of

environmental and

social policies.

leading international financial institutions. As global financing from Chinese and Brazilian banks increases, we continue to advocate for sustainable finance policies at

these emerging development financiers. We wrote two reports on emerging sustainability frameworks at national development banks, in addition to supporting local communities affected by industrial projects financed by these banks. We also encouraged the internationalization of positive green finance policies where they exist, such as China’s Green Credit Guidelines. DETERRING FOREST DESTRUCTION Wall Street banks, equity funds and other money managers too often profit by forcing tropical forest communities off their lands and clearing forests for monoculture palm oil plantations. Few laws and regulations exist to mitigate these environmental, social and human rights impacts. Friends of the Earth supported local communities faced with

these landgrabs, produced international reports exposing the companies and investors involved, and ramped up grassroots advocacy to force financiers to halt these unacceptable practices. Just in the last few months, our reports have pressured some of the world’s largest asset managers to investigate abuses by palm oil companies they finance. As such, public scrutiny of the companies themselves has led to independent investigations into human rights abuses in Guatemala and Indonesia.

FIGHTING TRADE AGREEMENTS THAT HARM THE ENVIRONMENT AND UNDERCUT CITIZENS’ RIGHTS

Increasingly, international trade agreements are not about “free trade,” rather they are about conferring greater legal power to corporations, weakening citizens’ rights,

ABOVE: RHS palm oil plantation in Central Kalimantan. Credit: WALHI, October 2015.


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while causing deregulation of environmental and social policies. Friends of the Earth is a leader in a growing national and international movement to draw attention to and oppose these bad agreements, most recently by combining policy analysis with grassroots activism to block the Trans Pacific Partnership. WINNING BACK OUR DEMOCRACY Environmental polluters like Exxon, and similarly-minded mega-donors like the Koch Brothers, poison the political

system with enormous financial contributions that sideline the voices of everyday Americans. But, Friends of the Earth is part of a growing movement that is turning back the tide against big money in politics. In November, Friends of the Earth was a leader in a victorious ballot measure in Maine that restores public funding for elections, makes campaigns more transparent and increases financial penalties for election law violations. This democracy win positions us for bigger success in 2016 to get big money out of politics and help

ensure voting rights for all. These kinds of victories inspire us to create the healthy and just world we want to see. We will continue to fight economic policies at home and abroad that fuel environmental destruction and social injustice and replace them with fair and sustainable approaches.

LEFT: Senior Trade Analyst Bill Waren speaks at TPP Rally in Washington, D.C. RIGHT: Senior Democracy Campaigner Jon Fox canvassing voters in Portland, Maine.


F riends of the Earth’s Food and Technology program conducts market and policy campaigns aimed at pollinator protection, animal agriculture reform and promoting regenerative organic food production. In

2015 our program scored many successes in our efforts to rapidly transition our food system into one that is sustainable, healthy and just. SAVING BEES IN OUR BACKYARDS AND ACROSS THE COUNTRYIn 2015, due to the work of Friends of the Earth, our allies, beekeepers and bee activists across the nation, Home Depot and Lowe’s, the world’s two largest home improvement retailers, committed to stop selling bee-toxic neonicotinoid pesticides, a leading driver of global bee declines. The two DIY giants joined more than thirty garden retailers, nurseries and landscaping companies in making this commitment. Working with allies in cities and states

across the country, we also pushed the EPA to restrict bee-toxic pesticides in agriculture and advanced or passed resolutions and bills to protect bees from Massachusetts to California.

KEEPING GMO SALMON OFF OUR PLATES AND FIGHTING FOR OUR RIGHT TO KNOWUnfortunately, in late 2015, the FDA approved GMO salmon, the first genetically engineered animal approved for human consumption, based on a flawed assessment using company data. GMO salmon threaten wild salmon and its approval paves the way for other poorly assessed GMO animals, such as pigs, chickens and cows, engineered to fit within a harmful and inhumane factory farming system. After this announcement, and in response to pressure from Friends of the Earth and allies, Costco, the world’s second largest grocery chain, joined more than 60 grocery store chains nationwide — including Kroger, Safeway, Trader

By Lisa Archer, food and technology program director

food & technology

Building a better food future


Joe’s, Target and Whole Foods — in making a commitment to not sell GMO salmon.

We also continued to advocate for mandatory labeling of GMOs and pushed back against the chemical and junk food industry’s attempts to preempt state labeling laws via federal legislation dubbed the “Deny Americans the Right to Know Act.” While the House of Representatives passed this industry-written bill in July, we and our allies successfully pressured the Senate to reject attempts to attach this bill as a last-minute rider on a must-pass spending bill.

CHALLENGING FACTORY FARMS AND ANTIBIOTICS ABUSEFriends of the Earth has been leading national efforts to drive market change to end the routine use of antibiotics on

factory farms, a leading driver of antibiotic-resistance, which is a growing public health threat. We co-authored a highly publicized report and scorecard, “Chain Reaction,” that grades 25 of America’s top restaurant chains on their policies and practices regarding routine antibiotics use and transparency in their meat and poultry supply chains. This report, along with coordinated pressure campaigns and direct company dialogues, has moved the world’s two largest restaurant chains, McDonald’s and Subway, to commit to phasing out routine use of antibiotics in their meat supply.

CONTINUING THE FIGHT: WE CAN SHAPE THE STORY OF FOODWe also released “Spinning Food” in June, a groundbreaking report that exposes how the industrial

food sector has spent hundreds of millions of dollars over the past few years on stealth PR tactics to push its political agenda and maintain its market share. The report reveals the rapid rise in industry front groups designed to attack organic food, defend pesticides and the routine use of antibiotics and promote GMOs. The report has been reposted, summarized and publicized by dozens of allies and progressive websites. It is an invaluable tool to help journalists and consumers separate out industry spin from the real story of food. This effort builds on the work we have been doing over the past year to push back on attempts by large agribusiness corporations to discredit the many public health and environmental benefits of organic food.

By Lisa Archer, food and technology program director

LEFT: Protesters in Seattle asking Costco to keep GMO salmon off its shelves (May 2015). Credit: Alex Garland. TOP RIGHT: Activists outside Ace Hardware in Washington, D.C. urging the retailer to stop selling bee-killing pesticides (November 2015). BOTTOM LEFT: “Chain Reaction” report. BOTTOM RIGHT: “Spinning Food” report.


KEY WINS We won a Clean Water Act case we filed in 2013. It challenged a Washington Pollution Control Hearings Board decision to reject our appeal of the Department of Ecology’s issuance of an unlawful National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for the BP Cherry Point refinery near Bellingham, Washington. In 2015 - the court decided in our favor and the State removed the illegal provision from all the NPDES permits it has issued.

Friends of the Earth and other NGOs were sued by by Shell Oil along with the Skagit County Hearing Examiner for its decision granting our administrative appeal that demanded an Environmental Impact Statement for Shell Refinery’s proposed oil-by-rail terminal at its facility in Anacortes, WA. We won this case – the EIS we won in the administrative proceeding was upheld by the court and will be published in 2016.

NEW CASES AND CASE UPDATES

Cases filed in 2015:Friends of the Earth and other plaintiff groups challenged the U.S. EPA’s failure to respond in a timely manner to our 2009 petition requesting that EPA regulate concentrated animal feeding operations as a stationary source under the Clean Air Act.

We petitioned the federal Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. to review the NRC’s secret approval of an amendment to Diablo Canyon Power Plant’s license in violation of NRC regulations and the Atomic Energy Act.

Friends of the Earth, national and regional NGOs and native groups filed a National Environmental Policy Act challenge over the United States Department of the Interior’s approval of Lease Sale 193 to Shell Oil for offshore oil drilling in the Arctic’s Chukchi Sea.

Friends of the Earth and other national and regional NGOs filed a National Environmental Policy Act challenge to the USDI’s approval of Shell Oil’s Revised Outer Continental Shelf Lease Exploration Plan for the Chukchi Sea.

We are continuing to fight the increase in oil extraction and export as a part of our Keep It in the Ground campaign and our Northwest work.

On the legal front

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It was a year marked by intense on-the-ground campaigning and big wins that supported our environmental advocacy work all to ensure a healthy and just world.

ABOVE: Storage tanks and towers at Shell Puget Sound Refinery, Anacortes, Washington, Credit: Walter Siegmund, via Wikimedia Commons



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$1,000-$4,999 cont.Marcia AngermannMarcia Angle and Mark Trustin FundAnthony Schmidt Family FoundationSallie and Edward Arens Charitable TrustFrances A. Bachman and Joseph F. Bachman Charitable FundJoffre BakerMargaret P. BaldwinRichard H. BarsantiNancy BassettDouglas J. BenderThe Benevity Community Impact Fund Black Dog Foundation Inc.Jo and Whitey Bluestein John T. BoalDr. Edith F. BorieJoseph BowerJeffrey BronfmanMargaret Bullitt-Jonas and Robert A. JonasPaul BurkCenter for International Environmental LawJayni and Chevy ChaseJames and Roberta ClarkeThe Connable Office, Inc.Marcia D. and Herman E. DalyDeborah Davison and J. Michael HeckethornMichael Dieden and Dana Gluckstein Marjory M. DonnFrances A. DubrowskiE Joseph Evans Charitable Trust U/WAlison Emilio-Kleckner

Mrs. and Dr. Hamilton EmmonsHenry P. EulerEuler-Revaz Family FoundationFarbstein Family Charitable FoundationSandra FarkasMarilyn L. FrerkingBenjamin FriedmanJustine FrischmannDalia and Roger GilbertsonJeffrey GlueckLiberty Godshall and Ed ZwickThe Grace Jones Richardson Trust Michael GreenJulia A. GregoryPorpoise FundDon HenleyNancy HeymannHilltop FoundationJohn Hirschi Donor Advised FundJane HoffmanPeter HooseZephyr Isely Charitable Gift FundVincent and Pauline JacinthoBeth Janus and Seth Lieberman Patricia JoanidesSherwood JohnsonJostensJustGive.orgDale S. KammerlohrAngeliki and Charles M.H. KeilJeanie and Murray KilgourRichard KownackiKutnick FoundationWilliam LammeGenie and Ken LangeMarta Jo LawrenceMrs. and Mr. Don Lichty

Barbara G. Lifton Esq.The Lindemann Foundation, Inc.Frank Lowenstein and Peyton West Victor MartinoMattlin FoundationJoseph MatzaMayo-Smith FundCarse McDanielChristina MednickRobert MesserschmidtWalter D. MillerGerry MillikenDonna MillsThe Mitzvah FoundationThe Moe Family Charitable Fund Elizabeth and John J. MonagleBarbara H. and Thomas J. Moore Kaplan-Nelson FundStephen NemethStephanie Nemeth BronsonLinda L. NicholesJean L. NunesDr. Isabelle Rapin OaklanderVictoria OlsenMark OppermanDiane E. PedersonFrank PernaAmy PetersLois PetreCarole and Ira PittelmanRonald W. PlankPomerance FundFrederick G. Prahl and Karen SkjeiElissa QuerzeFred & Maria Ragucci Charitable FundRalph Burnham Charitable Lead TrustBruce M. RichEleanore RichardsDr. Beverly S. RidgelyOcean RobbinsPhilippa RobinsonJill and Ron RohdeAntonia SalmThe Samuel and Grace Gorlitz FoundationJudy and Carl W. Sandlin Carol and David SantosPamela S. and Marshall SaundersJohn Scanlan

Arlie SchardtThe Schechter FoundationRobin SemerSempra EnergyJoshua SohnSusan SolomonLuella N. SpadaroCyrus Spurlino and Joanne SpurlinoDoria SteedmanEva L. StegerTaylor SteinFrances W. StevensonFaith F. StrongCarolyn J. and Ronald A. SuberJeffrey SundRobert TafuriStilwell Charitable FundRichard TaketaCelia P. TaylorCamilla ThomasonMs. Shirley TuckerSteven R. VanbeverWilliam WilliamsonAlicia and Mark WittinkMiss Jeanne Zasadil

Deborah and Marc Zionts

$500-$999Mark AlvarezEthan D. Alyea Jr.Grace B. AndersonJanet AsimovElizabeth AubreyMr. and Mrs. Richard H. AultBarr Charitable FoundationPaul W. Beach Jr.Lisa BeanDavid Victor and Naomi Isaacson Becker Charitable Fund Vince BeiserNeal BiggartLucius H. Biglow Jr.Corey BirkholzKevin Block-SchwenkJudith N. and Hon. David E. BoniorC. BookwalterTerry BracyDr. Erika Brinkmann and Banting WuMarilyn and Allan Brown Lester Brown

CONNECT

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Sarah BrownSusan BuckleyMr. and Mrs. Lawrence BuellLinda BukowskiDaniel CalhounNancy CampeauSally CappsJames CayaChandler-Shreve Family FundRobert H. ClarkAndrea CochranHayyim CohenThe Conrow Charitable Gift FundJody CookGayle CountrymanKim CrawfordHarriett CrosbyJulie CrowKirsten G. and Edwin CutlerRichard Deitch IIPamela DeprezJohn DiamondMark DodelRuth DonPaul Dooley and Winnie HolzmanShannon DowneyDraper-Riera Green Earth FundE. W. DupuyThe Larry and Judy East Charitable FundBobbi ElliottMr. and Mrs. George EllisAnne W. EllsworthCarol ElseEn*Theos EnterprisesRebecca EricksonDr. Charlotte Ferencz, MDHarvey FernbachLaura FetznerKatharine FlebotteCarol and Ralph FoilesFrydman Family Charitable FundDeborah GarrowPhilip GeorgeTheo B. GiesyP. Roger GilletteMargery and Gary GlaserGlobal BeesMargaret and Peter Goldman FundR. Raymond Gorospe

Nancy HagerCamille HammondF. James HandleyHoward G. HansenVivien and David Hanson Leo HarrisNancy HartunianGloria HassanSuzette M. Hemberger and Jay T. Smith Julie B. HigginsJoel HillhouseKaoru Hisasue and Jeff WissmanN. George HostHouston Jewish Community FoundationMartha IttnerRajesh JambotkarThomas JeffriesKarl JohnsonPhilip and Elizabeth JohnsonSally B. KaplanPatrice KaskaKatharine King FundKigner Family Charitable TrustAshish KilamRenae Kofford and Brian L. Larsen Judy KramerDonald KraybillStephen KunkelKlara E. KurowskiDick LavineJulie LawellTimothy LawlessC. and M. LeithNels R. LeutwilerGail and Thomas LitwilerSpencer LongmanJan LooneyLois and Peter LundellRobert LyonLuke MagnottoRandolph F. RossGrace MalakoffRichard MangeotSally N. MannexThe James D. and Laura C. Marshall Charitable Fund George MartinMrs. and Mr. Raymond S. Martin

Wayne Martinson and Deborah SawyerJackie McCannonD.W. McEachernHenry P. McKeanRobert McKelveyRobert P. McMahonNancy Claiborne MearsNancy MengesHarold MillerJoseph MillerLani MillerTheodore R. MoschMoscow Philanthropic FundJoanie MurphyL. MurphyScott M. MurphyDavid MustoneHelen A. and Walter M. NortonEd and Brit Ochester Charitable Fund J. & L. Oehrle Family FundKira Perov and Bill ViolaDamon R. PhillipsLinda PierceJoan PossCarolyn and Michael PravlikMartin PrinceDr. G. C. RamsayRCW Treadway Earthcare FundBrian RealeThe Mark Reinhardt Family Fund at Schwab Charitable FundRachel ResnikoffMarie RidderJohn RockwellChristopher RothkoRSF Social FinanceSteven R. SarafoleanStella B. SargentDonna ScheuringPeter David SchmittAnne SchroederMs Jeannette SchroederThe Susan and Ford Schumann FoundationMarguerite SellettiShirley ShapiroGordon ShriverWilliam ShumanSmith Family Fund

Constantine SperidakosWilliam SquierJohn T. StewartCorky Hale Stoller and Mike StollerDon StuckyOlivier SuzorLesley TannahillJ. Holley Taylor Charitable Gift FundTimon TesarMelinda ThompsonLouise ThomsKathi ThonetSarah TimpsonDaena TitleSharon TomaoLee TriplettRobert O. TylerLouise Van VlietRoger F. VorceJohn J. WagersFlorence WagnerCarolyn WardripRoxanne WarrenSteven WeaverKim and Kathleen WenneslandMiss Janet M. WestCarmen WillcoxKaren WohlgemuthKarli WolffMiss Ellen WormserMyrna WoskBetty L. WrigleyWrocklage Family Charitable FoundationJulie and Michael Zimber

FINANCIALSASSETS

Cash & cash equivalents $5,164,507

Accounts receivable $284,234

Prepaid expenses & other assets $417,910

Investments at market value $5,413,637

Fixed assets, net of depreciation $303,115

Total assets $11,583,403

LIABILITIES & NET ASSETS LIABILITIES

Accounts payable $435,693

Lease-related liabilities $262,266

Due to FOE Action $140,811

Charitable gift annuities $30,077

Total liabilities $868,847

NET ASSETS

Restricted $1,933,111

Reserve & endowment funds $5,198,421

Unrestricted $3,583,024

Total net assets $10,714,556

Total liabilities & net assets $11,583,403

Statement of financial position As of June 30, 2015

Revenues by source FYE June 30, 2015

Use of funds FYE June 30, 2015

39%

23%

19% 19%

85.3%

6%

8.7%

n Grants - restricted

n Unrestricted, designated gifts

n Contributions & bequests

n Other revenues

n Program expenses

n General & administrative

n Fundraising


REVENUES UNRESTRICTED TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED

PERMANENTLY RESTRICTED

TOTAL

Grants, bequests & contributions $6,560,182 $3,740,023 — $10,300,205

Other income $ 2,410,819 — — $2,410,819

Net assets released from restriction $ 2,766,209 $ (2,766,209) — —

Total revenue & support $11,737,210 $973,814 $ $12,711,024

EXPENSES

Program expenses

Economic Policy $1,482,985 — — $1,482,985

Oceans & Vessels $309,998 — — $309,998

Climate & Energy $1,260,350 — — $1,260,350

Food & Technology $1,495,617 — — $1,495,617

Outreach & Membership $3,689,330 — — $3,689,330

Total program expenses $8,238,280 — — $8,238,280

Supporting expenses

Management & General $579,044 — — $579,044

Fundraising $840,304 — — $840,304

Total supporting expenses $1,419,348 — — $1,419,348

Total expenses $9,657,628 — — $9,657,628

NET ASSETS

Change in net assets $2,079,582 $973,814 — $3,053,396

Net assets - beginning of year $6,159,696 $1,157,718 $210,272 $7,527,686

Net assets - end of year $8,239,278 $2,131,532 $210,272 $10,581,082

Statement of activitiesFor the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2015


Volume 45, Number 4 ∙ Winter 20151101 15th Street NW, 11th FloorWashington, D.C. 20005

PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT

WASHINGTON, D.C. AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES

A copy of the latest Financial Report and Registration filed by this organization may be obtained by contacting us at Friends of the Earth, 1100 15th St. NW, 11th Floor, Washington, DC 20005. Toll-free number: 877-843-8687. Or, for residents of the following states, by contacting any of the state agencies: CALIFORNIA - A copy of the Official Financial Statement may be obtained from the Attorney General’s Registry of Charitable Trusts, Department of Justice, PO Box 903447, Sacramento, CA 94203-4470 or by calling 916-445-2021. FLORIDA - A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE, WITHIN THE STATE, 1-800-435-7352. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. Florida registration # CH960. KANSAS - Annual financial report is filed with Secretary of State #258-204-7. MARYLAND - For the cost of copies and postage: Office of the Secretary of State, State House, Annapolis, MD 21401. MICHIGAN - MICS 10926. MISSISSIPPI - The official registration and financial information of Friends of the Earth, Inc. may be obtained from the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office by calling 1-888-236-6167. Registration by the Secretary of the State does not imply endorsement by the Secretary of State. NEW JERSEY - INFORMATION FILED WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL CONCERNING THIS CHARITABLE SOLICITATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY BY CALLING 973-504-6215. REGISTRATION WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT. NEW YORK - Office of the Attorney General, Department of Law, Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271. NORTH CAROLINA - FINANCIAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ORGANIZATION AND A COPY OF ITS LICENSE ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE STATE SOLICITATION LICENSING BRANCH AT 1-888-830-4989. THE LICENSE IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT BY THE STATE. PENNSYLVANIA - The official registration and financial information of Friends of the Earth may be obtained from Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free within the state 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. UTAH - Permit #C495. VIRGINIA - State Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, PO Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23218; 1-800-552-9963. WASHINGTON - Charities Division, Office of the Secretary of the State, State of Washington, Olympia, WA 98504-0422; 1-800-332-4483. WEST VIRGINIA - West Virginia residents may obtain a summary of the registration and financial documents for the Secretary of State, State Capitol, Charleston, WV 25305. Registration does not imply endorsement. Postmaster: Send address changes to Friends of the Earth, 1100 15th St. NW, 11th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005.

OUR MISSION: Friends of the Earth defends the environment and champions a healthy and just world. CFC #12067

The Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine is printed on 100% recycled paper with 100% post-consumer content and processed without chlorine.

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Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine (ISSN: 1054-1829) is published quarterly by Friends of the Earth, 1101 15th St. NW, 11th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005, phone 202-783-7400, fax 202-783-0444, e-mail: [email protected], website: www.foe.org. Annual membership dues are $25, which includes a subscription to the Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine. The words “Friends of the Earth” and the Friends of the Earth logo are exclusive trademarks of Friends of the Earth, all rights reserved. Requests to reprint articles should be submitted to Brittany Matter at [email protected]. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C.

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volume 45, number 4 | 2015 annual report · 2017-11-15 · 2 friends of the earth 2015 annual...

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